Mahogany

Teak is a hard wood, the three species of teak are: Swietenia humilis, West Indianor Cuban mahogany and Honduran or big-leaf mahogany.

Properties:

Mahogany originates from Brazil, Asia and Africa prized for its beauty, durability, and colour, and used for joinery, furniture, panelling and to make boats, musical instruments

Teak is a Durable hardwood
Extremely difficult to treat
It resists welling, shrinking and warping very well.
Density (mean, Kg/m³) 560 (Density can vary by 20% or more)
Expensive
Fine grain and reddish brown in colour

Applications:

You can work teak either with hand or machine tools.

The presence of tension in teak gives rise to fuzzy surfaces in machining. Teak requires heavy sanding.

The use of sharp cutting edges where woolliness is encountered is generally sufficient, along with sanding, to produce an excellent finish.

The wood is easy to glue, takes nails and screws well and will take an excellent polish. It is one of the easier woods to slice or rotary cut into veneer, although flitches will frequently develop cracks when not properly boiled.

Sustainability:

Environmentalists are calling for an end to the planting of mahogany because of its negative impact on the environment and wildlife, including possibly causing soil acidification and no net benefit to wildlife.

Asia is home to more than 70 species of Mahogany, more than 50% of which are either endangered or critically endangered. Brazilian Mahogany is also vulnerable and at least five species of African Mahogany are either endangered or vulnerable.

Mahogany is a slow growing tree and should only be used if it originates from non-old growth logging and is certified by an organisation accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Material handling

Wear a dust mask while sanding to avoid dust inhalation which can cause short and long term damage to the lungs.

Protective equipment

Dust mask
Tightly fitting googles
Gloves

Spotlight RCA

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